War in Ukraine. By striking Kharkiv, Russia is preparing the battlefield for a major offensive

In late May or June, Russian troops may launch a new large-scale offensive in Ukraine.

The Financial Times quoted two senior Ukrainian intelligence officials as saying that the occupiers are attacking key frontline areas and are preparing missile and drone strikes on Kharkiv and other cities to prepare the battlefield for a major offensive.

One source in the Ukrainian army told “Bild” that they fear that Kharkiv will be attacked by 20,000 to 40,000 soldiers. military forces. In this case, according to him, Ukraine will have to decide what to defend – the north or the east. Another soldier told reporters that he also believes that the occupiers’ “march” to Kharkiv is possible.

One officer said that throughout the war, Russian soldiers had learned how to effectively use their forces for offensive operations. “Innumerable bombs are often dropped on the front now. Not like before – only to a few insignificant hangars, but to every building we hold,” said the military man, noting that without ammunition and missiles for air defense, they can’t do anything.

Ukraine is now building kilometers of anti-tank barriers, not only in the south, but also on the border with Belgorod, Kursk and Bryansk regions.

At the end of March, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that a major Russian attack could begin as early as the end of May or in June. The US-based Institute for Military Studies predicts that Ukraine’s well-equipped armed forces will be able to prevent a Russian attack.

Earlier, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrsky, said that the situation at the frontline had worsened. The military has recorded the massing and regrouping of Russian troops in the direction of Kharkiv, but has so far not seen any direct signs of preparations for an attack.